thorac-

1. variant of thoraco- before a vowel:

   thoracic.

Words That Use thorac-

What does thorac- mean?

Thorac– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “thorax.” The thorax is the part of the body between the neck and the abdomen—in other words, the chest. In insects, the thorax is the area between the head and the abdomen. It is occasionally used in medical terms.

Thorac– ultimately comes from Greek thṓrāx, meaning “breastplate.” One Latin word with a similar meaning was pectus, meaning “chest” or “breast,” which is the source of expectorate, parapet, and pectoral. Learn what these words have to do with the chest by checking out each of the three entries.

What are variants of thorac-?

Thorac– is a variant of thoraco–, which loses its –o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on thoraco-.

Examples of thorac-

A medical term that features thorac– is thoracalgia, or thoracodynia, “pain in the chest.”

The form thorac– means “thorax,” and the second portion of the word, –algia, means “pain,” from Greek álgos. Thoracalgia literally translates to “thorax pain.”

What are some words that use the combining form thorac-?

• thoracectomy
• thoracentesis
• thoracic (using the equivalent form of thorac– in Greek)
• thoracic cavity
• thoracic nerve
• thoracic wall

What are some other forms that thorac– may be commonly confused with?

• flor-
• thermo-
• thymo-
• thyro-

Break it down!

The combining form –ectomy means “excision.” With this in mind, what kind of medical procedure is a thoracectomy?